chuck e. cheese ; joshler [✔️]

oh ms believer

"tyler?"

the young boy looked as though he had seen a ghost. the color drained from his previously lively face and his mouth hung open in shock. his doe eyes became glassy and he blinked back the tears that stung at his waterline, choking back a sob that threatened to escape. he clamped a hand over his mouth, checking for melanie's reaction to make sure he wasn't imagining the whole thing.

he had dreamt of this moment since he was sixteen, imagining all the different scenarios that he could possibly run into josh again. but none of them were quite like the situation he was in.

tyler did the first thing that came to mind and flung himself into josh's arms, burying his face into his neck as he inhaled the familiar scent that he often found himself thinking about. he couldn't hold back the droplets of saltwater that fell down his cherry cheeks and dampened josh's shirt, not having a care in the world about whether or not his mascara was going to run.

"joshy, is that really you?" tyler whispered as he peered up at the man who's hair was now a bright yellow that, oddly enough, suited him very well. josh, too, had tears running down his face as he vigorously nodded his head, running his fingers through tyler's fluffy brown hair that he had missed so dearly.

"it is," he said, eyes brightening as a smile spread across his face, dimples forming in the most endearing way. "and i'm here to stay this time."

those words made tyler's heart swell with happiness, and he grinned back at the man he still loved to this day. he tried, and tried, and tried, but no matter how much effort he put into it he couldn't get over josh. he tried to find other guys, ones his own age, but his mind always wandered back to the first person who made him feel truly loved. josh was irreplaceable and one of a kind and even after two years he still had tyler melting under the smallest touch of his fingers.

melanie told him time after time that josh was never going to come back, that he only said that to make tyler feel better, but the brunette refused to believe his friend. he knew josh better than that and he was confident that josh would come back one day so they could finally be together. and as the whole scene unfolded before her, melanie was speechless. she was undeniably happy for her friend but she couldn't help but feel confused as to what josh was doing back. she was sure he was gone for good and she had accepted the fact that she wouldn't see him again.

she sat down at the park bench and just watched as her best friend was reunited with his one and only love.

"i can't believe this is actually happening," tyler giggled and grasped josh's hand in his own. "how'd you even find me?"

"i knew you would still live here and i remember how much you loved this spot so i figured you would come here eventually and i was right."

suddenly, tyler's excited facial expression dropped. "why did you leave me in the first place, joshy?"

josh dreaded being asked this question but he knew it was bound to be asked. "you had to go back to your family and i knew that if i stayed around that things would just get worse, so i left. but there wasn't one day where i didn't ask myself how you were doing or where i didn't worry if you were okay."

tyler didn't need words to respond to that, so he settled with an action that he hadn't felt emotion with for two years, and he pressed his lips against josh's. every single pent up emotion that hid in each of their minds was released the moment their lips touched, and it was beautiful. salty tears fell into their mouths but they couldn't find the energy to care as they focused on one thing, and one thing only; each other.

"i waited for you, joshy, and i'm so glad i did. i still love you just as much as i did two years ago."

"if it's possible, i think i love you more than i did two years ago," josh chuckled, lightly kissing away a tear that trickled from tyler's eye.

"just as cheesy as before, i see," tyler teased, missing josh's puns and jokes.

"maybe," josh shrugged as he grabbed tyler's left hand and slowly got down on one knee. "i know you're young, but at least you're not sixteen anymore. tyler robert joseph, will you marry me?"

t h e e n d